frugality

12 Stories

Pricey Nuptials Give Rise to Weekday Weddings

Costs can be a third cheaper when held on Thursdays instead of Saturdays

(Newser) - Ah, weddings: The chance to celebrate love, commitment ... and the increasingly staggering amount of cash couples are forking over to tie the knot. One trending nod to frugality, however, is the rise of the less costly Thursday wedding. In fact, the Times reports that in the United Kingdom, nearly 22,...

Ikea's Billionaire Founder Gets Clothes at Flea Markets

Ingvar Kamprad, 89, is famously frugal

(Newser) - Want to end up a billionaire like Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad? Consider doing as he does and trade the mall for the ... flea market. In a documentary set to air on Swedish television, the 89-year-old says that's where he shops for clothes, reports the AFP . "I don't...

Coupon Clippers Go Crazy, Turn Competitive
 Coupon Clippers Go Crazy, 
 Turn Competitive 
RECESSIONOMICS
Mar 8, 2010 12:03 PM CST

Coupon Clippers Go Crazy, Turn Competitive

Tough times drive many to save big, buy in bulk

(Newser) - While the recession has left many cupboards bare, others are sagging as the cash-strapped turn into coupon-wielding obsessives who stock up on months or years worth of groceries on the cheap. While coupon usage peaked in the '90s, it surged 27% last year—mainly due to extreme coupon users, reports...

How I Afforded Duke by Living in a Van
 How I Afforded 
 Duke by Living in a Van 
24/7 RAMEN
Dec 7, 2009 12:26 PM CST

How I Afforded Duke by Living in a Van

One grad student's experiment with 'radical living'

(Newser) - Ken Ilgunas wanted to go to grad school without going into debt, so he bought a 1994 Ford Econoline van and a parking sticker, and called it home. He lived on frugal meals cooked on a camping stove, showered at the gym, used a sleeping bag for heat. To some,...

Get a Thumbs-Up in Hitchhiking
 Get a Thumbs-Up in Hitchhiking 
TRAVEL
Jul 29, 2009 11:41 AM CDT

Get a Thumbs-Up in Hitchhiking

Expert hitcher talks safety

(Newser) - Hitchhiking, though controversial, remains the epitome of frugal traveling. Ben Bachelder, who has thumbed his way through 35 countries and six continents—including Antarctica—gives the New York Times tips on how to do it right:
  • Start slow: “First-time hitchhikers should go with a friend, just for a little
...

Frugal Mainers Easily Weather Economic Storm

(Newser) - A long history of sparse employment and hardships of all stripes has built a culture of frugality that leaves Maine perfectly suited to the current recession, the Boston Globe reports. “Everybody now is into shopping thrift shops, but in most of Maine, people never stopped,” a banker says....

Parents Save, Send Kids to 'Camp Granny'

In recession, grandparents replace summer camp for many

(Newser) - The lingering recession is forcing cash-strapped parents to cancel camp for the kids—instead, they're being packed off to their grandparents'. The arrangement shifts the child-care burden to grandparents, many of whom enjoy the extra time with their grandchildren. Mom and dad save money and get some time to themselves,...

Full-Price Fury Sends Writer to the Dumpster

W. Hodding Carter fed up with supermarket prices

(Newser) - Since February, W. Hodding Carter's family of six has been living within their means on $550 a month, which means making hummus at home and slashing extras like candy and fancy cheese. But now, in a fury over the "unconscionably insufficient number of sale items" at his local supermarket,...

Frugalistas Rejoice: Recession Is a Validation

'Frugalistas' embrace new thrifty values

(Newser) - Shredding credit cards and buying less may sound like consumer America's version of hell, but some—especially those penny-pinchers long scoffed at as miserly—are downright gleeful. "This validates the choices I've made," one tells the New York Times. With the savings rate up a remarkable 4 points...

Credit-Addicted Family Faces Life on $550 a Month

On top of the list: no restaurants

(Newser) - His wife kicked him out for 9 months for overspending. Now W. Hodding Carter is helping his family try the unthinkable: living within their means. Saddled with credit-card debt after years of pricey counter tops and dreams of wealth, Carter’s family of six plans to make do with their...

Drivers Learning to Love Older Cars

Maintenance cheaper than payment for newer models, consumers find

(Newser) - Thanks to the ongoing recession, drivers accustomed to trading in their vehicles often are warming to the idea of a longer covenant with their cars, the Wall Street Journal reports. While the concept might puzzle the less well-heeled, “the 3-year ownership mentality has crumbled,” one insider said. And...

In Tough Times, America Relearns Thrift

(Newser) - Staring down a recession, Americans are turning tail and running to their nearest shoe repair shop, reports the Christian Science Monitor, in a look at the reversal of the United States' "throwaway" society. Thrift stores and repair shops are doing brisk business while their retail counterparts languish, or...

12 Stories